News & Stories / Field Reports Ou Se Trouve Les Champignons? FFSC member Doug Smith is currently living in Switzerland and sent in these directions to the local patch. Douglas Smith • November 2, 2009 Swiss signs. Photo by Doug Smith Swiss signs. Photos by Doug Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Phil Carpenter receives Knighton Award at Appalachia NAMA 2023 Phil Carpenter, FFSC Science Advisor, has been awarded the 2023 Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award by the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) ! Sue Willis • August 3, 2023 Phil Carpenter receiving Knighton Award. Photo credit: Brennon Strnad The Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award was established by the NAMA Board of Trustees to recognize and encourage persons who have distinguished themselves in service to their local clubs. It is named for the Knightons, whose efforts began the North American Mycological Association in 1967. The annual award consists of: A plaque Publicity for the winner and club in The Mycophile A one-year membership in the organization Rregistration, housing and foray fees for the next NAMA Foray. Each year's recipient is selected by the three most recent recipients of the Award. Every NAMA-affiliated mycological club may nominate one candidate whom it feels has performed meritorious service during the current or preceding year, which has to be described! The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of professional and amateur mycologists with over 90 affiliated mycological societies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Phil was presented with the award at the 2023 NAMA National Foray in North Carolina, with over 400 amateur and professional mycologists in attendance. Read a summary of Phil's contributions on pages 9-11 of The Mycophile Quarterly (July August September 2023 issue). Phil Carpenter. (Photo credit: Dan Tischler) Congratulations, Phil! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Field Report - 2021 NAMA Foray Grandby CO Time Lapsed Laetiporous Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Morels on the Maginot Line May is the month that unifies Northern hemisphere mycophiles. Everyone picks morels in May, give or take a few weeks. And we almost universally cook them up and eat them quickly. Deb • May 1, 2010 Collecting morels on the Maginot Line in WWII. Photo by Ms. Hinemoa Ruskin Many people stop by and peek into the Louden Nelson auditorium as we’re setting up for the Fungus Fair. It’s a great opportunity to chat up the fair and investigate the many different ways mushrooms fascinate us. This year was no exception. A tall, slender woman approached me and inquired about what we were doing, and if we ever collected morels. “Whenever possible” was my likely response. My new friend, Ms. Hinemoa Ruskin, asked if I might be interested in pictures of morels on the Maginot Line, a military fortification in eastern France during WWII. Of course! The next day she came back with these photos. Hinemoa had been stationed there as a nurse during the war. During a quiet time, the group had gone out on a quick foray, found morels, and wanted to cook them up. Due to wartime rationing, they had to use margarine instead of butter, but you can’t keep a good morel down— they were delicious! More info on the Maginot Line at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line Debbie Johnson Morel hunters on the Maginot Line in WWII. Photo by Ms. Hinemoa Ruskin Editor's Note : The Loudon Nelson Community Center was renamed to Lo n don Nelson on Juneteenth 2021. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Memories of Matsutake Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / An Evening to Remember – FFSC 25th Anniversary Dinner Our 25th Anniversary Dinner was a marvelous event. We dined on sumptuous treats including chanterelle pancakes, craterellus dip, sushi and bolete bread pudding that complemented the tri-tip cooked to perfection. Debbie Viess • October 2, 2009 25th anniversary party. Three photos by Debbie Viess The setting for the party was incomparable: a sit-down dinner for 60 in Henry and Marje Young's large and lovely garden. As always, with FFSC events, the food was incredible, the wine delicious and plentiful and the company charming. Phil Carpenter was the Master of Ceremonies at the sentimental slide-show journey through the history of the FFSC. Nostalgia also crept into the festivities in the form of a photo montage display of FFSC's very first picnic. The dinner included remembrances of people, now passed, who were instrumental in the development of FFSC. Fondly remembered were Greg Ferguson whose many abilities and generosity continue to affect the club, and Ed Aguilar whose big heart, huge passion for mushrooms and even bigger personality are always present in the personality of our group. We greatly missed the presence of CEO Bob Sellers at this momentous occasion. Bob is one of the FFSC founders and a hardworking modern-day member as well. He is currently battling a difficult illness and we fervently hope that he wins this battle. There are still many mushrooms to hunt, my friend! As the seasons of life inevitably evolve, we must continue to reach out to our younger members, bringing them into our fold and allowing them to eventually take the lead. Our older fungal colleagues would greatly appreciate the opportunity to relax and enjoy the fruits of their many joyous mushroom labors by passing the mantle on to the next generation of fungophiles. Hopefully, kicking back with a graceful segue into the role of a wise and involved council of elders. Long may we share and care and reach out to others, bringing light into the darkness, and fostering curiosity and a love for this little-known but highly compelling world that informs us. Yours in fungus and friendship, Debbie Viess Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Could a Stropharia Filter E. Coli Bacteria From Drinking Water? Paul Stamets has had his ear to the ground when it comes to the role of fungi in bioremediation. Cortinarius • June 3, 2014 Stropharia. Photo by Katherine Elvin Stamets' book, Mycelium Running , published in 2005, made a case for the use of fungi to reduce both bacterial and chemical contamination of runoff water. Now it looks like folks are taking note. After a 2012 research grant from the EPA to study mycofiltration, Stamets has been conducting more testing. Several fungi were studied for their ability to filter out E. coli , a bacteria found in human and animal feces. The results imply a delicious mushroom might consume something…well… not so pleasant, reducing it in runoff water by 20%. To read more, visit: https://truthout.org/articles/portlands-e-coli-scare-how-mushrooms-could-have-helped-prevent-it/ Editor's Note: The photograph of a Stropharia on this page is not the specific mushroom Stamets has studied for mycofiltration. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Algae and Fungi Team Up--and They're Lichen It... Will Mushrooms Make Styrofoam Obsolete? Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Mushroom ID Classes: Fall 2013 Series Fall is coming and rains will be starting, so it's a great time to improve your mushroom ID skills! Signups have begun for FFSC's fall mushroom ID classes. The four-class series will be led by Phil Carpenter on the first and fourth Wednesday: October 2, 23, November 6 and November 26 (changed to Tuesday due to proximity to Thanksgiving). You must be a FFSC member to attend this free course. Deb • September 10, 2013 Two Princes Classes will be held at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum on East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz from 7-9 pm. We'll be learning how to use the field guide Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora to put names on mushrooms that attendees and the instructor will be bringing in. As in the past, we are taking sign-ups only from people interested in staying for all of the classes, schedules allowing, since many people have expressed interest in the classes and we can only accommodate 20-22 people. If you are interested, please become a member if you are not a member yet and contact Phil Carpenter using a contact link below (visible to members only) stating your interest, how many people you want to sign up and the best email address to use for each person. Class will be filled in order of response. You must be a current (dues paid) member of the Federation in order to take the classes. There is no charge for attending. Note that the last class date will be Tuesday November 26 due to proximity to Thanksgiving. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom ID Series Cancelled - Spring 2014 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Santa Cruz Main Beachgoers were presented with an big, bodacious Fungus Fair sand sculpture last weekend courtesy of FFSC member Bill Lewis. Deb • January 6, 2014 Fungus Fair sand sculpture by Bill Lewis. Photo by Joe Paquin. Is this not incredible? Thank you, Bill! Thanks to Joe Paquin for the photo. Volunteer for the Fungus Fair - it's happening this coming weekend! Setup starts on Wednesday. We still need volunteers, so this is an ideal time to sign up. Click and link and go for it! Set Up : http://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/setup Fair : http://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/fungusfair See you there! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 40th Fungus Fair: Time lapse of the Island setup A Short History of the Fungus Fair Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2026 Calling all artists! Submit your entries for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo design contest! The deadline is 10pm on August 18, 2026. The winning logo will be used on the official Fair T-Shirts, posters and other materials. The Grand Prize is $500 plus other perks! Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • July 20, 2025 2026 Fungus Fair Poster Placeholder Submissions for this contest are closed. Artists who submitted entries have been notified of the results offline. The winning artwork will be used as the basis for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. The contest ended on Monday, August 18, 2025. Please submit your logo design(s) by 10pm PT on Monday, August 18, 2025 . Grand Prize The winning artist will receive: $500 in cash Two (2) General Admission* tickets to the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair (valued at $15 each) One (1) 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt (valued at $30-35) One (1) set of 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair giveaways (poster, postcard, etc.) Artist name credited with the artwork on all materials that use the logo** Finalists Exhibit Photographs or reprints of the winning artwork and up to 10 of the finalist entries for this logo contest will be displayed at the London Nelson Community Center during the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, January 9-11, 2026. Each displayed image will be accompanied by the artist's name, URL or contact info, and a brief description.*** Images of the exhibited*** entries will also be posted on the FFSC website, and may appear on social media. Contest Rules Eligibility Anyone in the United States can submit an entry. Each individual can submit up to 5 entries. The finalists and winning design will be reviewed and selected by representatives from the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair organizing committee. Members of the selection committee are not eligible for the grand prize. The deadline to submit entries is August 18, 2025 at 10pm PT. Logo Design Guidelines Your original work only. Please don't violate any copyrights. Special consideration will be given to designs that incorporate these concepts: Distinctly recognizable, real mushroom species known to occur in California The 2026 Fair theme: Underground Wonders: Secrets of the Fungal Kingdom Suitability for an all-ages T-shirt Special consideration will also be given to designs which are accompanied by: Suggestions for background colors to use for the T-shirt and poster Suggestions for where to place "Santa Cruz Fungus Fair" and the year (2026) Suggestions for typefaces to use on the T-shirt and poster. Note: If you choose to include text within the artwork, any fonts used must be free for commercial use. You can see examples of our past Fungus Fair logos below. Technical Guidelines Initially, we only need a PDF or screenshot of your artwork for consideration. If your entry is shortlisted as a finalist, we'll contact you for the original work. That said, we strongly recommend that you design your contest entry to be print-ready or easily adapted to the following requirements for the final logo: Colors: Max colors within the art file for printing: 7 colors You can suggest a specific T-shirt color as an 8th color Artwork / digital canvas size: Printable with high quality at 9-11"w x 9-11" tall File type: Vector art (Adobe Illustrator (.ai), or a .pdf containing vector art is strongly preferred. Adobe Photoshop (.psd) or .png that contains high resolution vectorized art will be considered. If you provide rasterized art, please prepare it for printing at 300 dpi. File name: Include your name and the artwork title in the filename. Logo Design Usage The winning entry will be used for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair committee may, at their discretion, alter the graphic elements, font or verbiage from the winning entry while creating the final 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo and merchandise. The winning entry and final logo will become the property of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz for exclusive commercial use in marketing and merchandising for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, and in any other way the organization sees fit in alignment with FFSC's mission. The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz reserves the right to reproduce the artwork and logo indefinitely. The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo will be used at the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, and will appear on the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt, as well as on posters, postcards and other materials which will be displayed in the Santa Cruz, California region. The logo may be also used in marketing by Fungus Fair vendors, sponsors and speakers, as well as in social media which could be seen worldwide. Submit Your Entry This year we're trying Google Forms to collect entries for this contest. (Entries are no longer being accepted.) We look forward to seeing your ideas! Past Examples of Fungus Fair Logos These examples demonstrate how we've used the Fair logos on posters in the past. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Short History of the Fungus Fair Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Foray and Habitat Walk March 2015 A great time was had during the FFSC Habitat Walk and Foray in Felton on Saturday, March 21st. Cass Fuentes • March 29, 2015 FFSC Foray group shot. Photo by Cass Fuentes Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts November 2014 Habitat Walk Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up A group of about 30 FFSC foragers descended into the western Santa Cruz area yesterday morning, searching for shrooms... Cass Fuentes • January 26, 2015 Local Foray attendees. Photo by Cassandra Fuentes Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Field Report on January 2015 Local Foray Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship Echo Summit Lodge – SOS The Echo Summit Lodge is the location of our annual September foray. It is a beautiful lodge overlooking Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe. Lee Yamada • November 2, 2009 Group photo at Echo Summit Lodge. Photo by Cecilia Stipes FFSC has been graced with utilization of this facility each year because two of our members, Lee Yamada and Phyllis Cole, are California Alpine Club (CAC) members and Echo Summit Lodge hosts. The Lodge is now experiencing financial distress. The letter below is from Lee and Phyllis regarding assistance to the Lodge. Hello FFSC Members, Over the decades, many FFSC members have enjoyed Echo Summit Lodge, with it’s beautiful scenery and vista. We have found mountains of boletes and a close and enduring comraderie of spirit. As the years have gone by we’ve appreciated the small changes that help to make the Lodge such a pleasant place (e.g., matching pillow cases and bedspreads in each room, the BBQ with its shelter, wine glasses - there were LOTS last September) as well as the major changes to the Lodge (e.g., updated water system, water heaters, kitchen and dining room floor covers, new fireplaces, kitchen update, new paint and siding, and now the handicapped ramp). As a condition of the California Alpine Club keeping it’s lease, the U.S. Forest Service has required major changes and upgrades. The projects - expensive to begin with - often went up in price after they were started. For example, in the middle of the 2008 paint and siding project, the County Building Inspector decided to increase shear strength by requiring the entire building be sheathed in thicker plywood: this added 2 weeks labor for 10 workers plus the materials. Also, the 2009 ramp project revealed several huge granite boulders that were too difficult to move. Revising the design to include the boulders meant additional engineering drawings, reviews and approvals that added $25,000 to the cost of $155,000. As a result, Echo Summit Lodge has had to borrow $35,000 to keep afloat. California Alpine Club is appealing for donations from its members and affiliates. We hope FFSC members will join in the effort to keep Echo Summit Lodge viable. Many of us are stretched financially, but small amounts add up! Please make donations if you're able to. Donations are not tax deductible since CAC is a “Social Club” not a 501C charitable organization. Thank you for your consideration, Lee Yamada and Phyllis Cole Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Report from the Mendocino Coast Black Trumpets: $12.00 per pound; Hedgehogs: $5.50 per pound; Yellow Feet: $1.00 per pound... With prices like that, you know Black Trumpets are scarce. We hiked two entire mountains where I know I can find them. Nothing! Hugh Smith • February 16, 2014 Albion II foray (Feb. 2008). Photo by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2013 Sierra Scouting Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article